Holy Corruption
by OneWhoCan'tWrite
Summary: A Crusader finds out his God is corrupt. He must defeat the God, but what will happen to him?
1. First Faith

Holy Corruption

Entry: First Faith

Tell me, when the one thing you believe in is gone, what do you do? Perhaps you're wondering why I'm asking this. Do you wish to know? Why? Is it silly for me to ask? What is there to answer? Who has the answers? Why do I ask these questions?

Perhaps you are confused. Let me go back to the beginning. I am a Crusader, Ryuuji of the Zen family. We have served God for many generations, and as I grew up, I was to be another protector and follower. The Zen family was known as a loyal and great family. As soon as we could learn, teachers taught us the divine path. Our God was our father, the one who taught us the most. Who was our God? He was simply called God. But what is a God...I apologize, I drifted into my own thoughts. For years, we learned the holy way. The powers I learned were righteous. My first time using them was like a flower bud blooming into full. We all knew that I was to be a great Crusader. The praise was sweet like honey, but I knew that I had to continue. For so long, I felt that the chosen path was going to be rewarding. I would heal, I would support, I would bring holiness. And I was right, when I was old enough to travel on my own, I did so with great dreams. I had met plenty of Dungeon Fighters and made many friends. Grandis was an exceptional teacher who taught me even more of the Crusader's road. However, then came the fated day. Fate, all that was taught to me and yet how I learned to hate this word. I had come back to my home to see my family again. It had been such a long time ago since I last saw them, so it was a good time for me to visit. It was a splendiferous time. However, one day, I was in our library, reading over some books. I had stumbled upon an ancient text, farthest away from the door, hiding in a corner. Curiosity got to me and I picked it up. There was no title, only a blank hardback cover. As I read through, it talked of the histories of the Ryuuji family and also the God that we worship, follow, protect, and praise. I felt fine at first, interested in learning about our history. But there I stumbled upon a page. It was written differently, the words were...gothic, it seemed.

_Thy God is not holy. Thy family is blind. So long, years have passed, and no one did find._

_To you who sees, know thy God interrupts. To you who sees, know thy God is corrupt._

_It is you who shall save, you who are fated. Defeat thy God, which evil created._

I stared blankly at the words. Surely they were not true. A...a rascal or jester was here! That was who was responsible! This is not true! For generations and generations, we have served our Lord and the Lord had protected us. He was our savior, our teacher, our protector. I could not believe this, I did not want to. I took the book away and hid it in my room. I did not believe...I did not believe.

That night, as I slept, a horrendous nightmare stirred me. My God, laughing evilly in the skies. Death and despair, he caused them all. I woke up with a gasp, and I was sweating heavily. As I calmed myself down a bit, I took the book out once again. I flipped to the page, and to my surprise, new words formed.

_To you who hesitate, do not be scared. You must be strong, you must be prepared._

_To you who knows, your God must die. Do not believe that this is a lie._

_You are fated, this is your path. Save the world from thy God's wrath._

At that point, I realized that I had to. There was no way around it. But how could I? Where do I begin? And thus my question comes once again: What do you do when your belief is gone?


	2. Faith Lost

Entry: Faith Gone

However, whoever reads this would not be able to answer to me directly. The contents of which I write would not see the light until I am close to dead. Why? Perhaps I am selfish, maybe I shall live to old age and then tell of the news. Or perhaps I will die soon after the battle of the Corrupt One. Who shall know?

During my adventure, I would write of what happened, as a way to keep a log on all things. You, the reader, would know of what happened to me. And this is how I began.

When the morning sun appeared after the event of my nightmares and the book, I quickly got dressed. I debated on whether I should tell my entire family. I did not know if they knew or not. If they didn't, would me telling them do anything? What if they knew? Would that mean that they were trying their hardest to defeat the Corrupt One, or they were following the corruption? It was a tough decision, but I ultimately decided I would go to Grandis and ask her of what I had to do. I took the book with me and exited the house. I said goodbyes to my family, trying my best to hide what I knew and my worries. The thought haunted me with every step, the thought of them knowing or not knowing. I got to Hendon Myre and tried to find Grandis right away. She was not in front of her church, so I stepped inside to see if she was in there. She was. She turned to me and greeted, "Ah, hello Ryuuji."

"Hello Grandis, I am sorry to be so sudden, but there is something you must see."

"What is it?" She asked.

I took my book and handed it to her. "This. It's a book that shows the history of my family and our God. I found it in our library in a corner. However, I stumbled upon an ominous text near the end."

She flipped and searched the pages and found the text. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I had the same question when I first saw it. It only said that our God was evil, but I thought of it as a joke. However, I took it with me and put it in my room. I had nightmares that night, and when I woke up and took the book out again, more words appeared." I replied.

"This is troubling..."

"Yes, and I came here to not only show you, but to ask what I should do next."

"Hm...I think you should speak with Iris the fortune teller. Perhaps she knows where you must start. You can find her in West Coast. She will be holding a small harp."

"Thank you, Grandis." I turned and left.

"My blessings go out to you." she said before I went out.

I headed off to West Coast, eager to find out what to do. I finally found Iris and went up to her.

"Hello, Crusader." Iris said.

"Hello Iris, my name is Ryuuji. Grandis told me to search for you as there is something important to know." I replied.

"Grandis? Then this must be serious. Tell me, what is it?" she asked.

"This book. It talks of our God being corrupt and how the God would destroy us all. The text is somehow able to add more words."

"Hm, let me see it." Iris requested. I gave it to her. "...I'm sensing some sort of energy from this. It feels like, Dirigie's aura. There's something else, but I can't pinpoint it. It seems the only thing we can do is find out from Dirigie. You will have to go to the town of Leshphon for this. I warn you, it is extremely dangerous, you must be prepared. The plague has infected everything there, and Dirigie will not go down very easily. You must go soon." She gave me back the book.

"Okay, I will tell Grandis and prepare tonight. Tomorrow, I shall find out. Thank you, Iris."

"No, thank you. If it wasn't for you, we would never have found out. Now go, Ryuuji."

I nodded and left. I went back to Grandis to tell her about what I was to do.

"Dirigie? You must be careful, perhaps you should bring some friends." She said.

"Perhaps I should." I wondered. I knew some of my friends were staying here at in inn. They told me before I went back to visit my family. They were staying there for a while, so there was a large chance they were still here. I headed off for the inn where they were staying. When I was in, I looked around the main area to see if they were there. I found them sitting around a table and walked up to them.

"Hey, it's Ryuuji!" My friend, Kaku, said.

"Well so it is!" My other friend, Tori, said.

"So what brings you back to Hendon Myre?" Another friend, only called Fear, asked.

"Greetings, everyone. I am back because of a disturbing realization." I took out my book, opened it to the gothic text, and placed it in the center of the table. "It appears that the God that I followed and looked up to is evil. He is planning on destroying our world. I talked to Grandis, to which she told me that I had to visit Iris. Iris told me that there were traces of Dirigie's energy in the words, and she told me to go to the town of Leshphon to find out what's going on. However, it is a dangerous task to go alone. As such, I was wondering if all of you could help me on this journey."

They all looked at the book. "Well, we can't have that happen, now can we?" Kaku said.

"Course we'll help, Ryuuji." Tori said.

"If the world is at stake, then there's no question about it. When do we go?" Fear asked.

"Tomorrow. We must go as soon as possible." I replied.

"Alright. Tomorrow it is." Tori said.

"Thank you, everyone." I replied. I went to the innkeeper and asked for a room. I was given one and went to it. It was going to be a hard battle tomorrow, but we must be victorious.


	3. Unholy Knowledge

Entry: Unholy Knowledge

When I woke up, the weather had an ominous look to it outside of the window. It seemed like it knew what was to happen. The skies were bleak, the clouds were gray, and a small breeze shook some branches. I was not discouraged; I had good friends with me to help.

Tori and Kaku were Rangers. They are basically brothers, but not related. When they were young, their situations were similar in Ghent. As they grew up, they took to training under Verrickt to be Rangers and soon came to be mercenaries. Now, they were not friends when they first started to train. They only met during a mission and that was where it began. I was, and still am, very glad to meet them during my travels.

My other friend, Fear, is a Rogue. When we all met Fear, we had no idea why she had a name like that. Was that her true name, a nickname, or some other? No one really knew. We settled it being a nickname as she was known to instill fear into any lowly enemies. She is skilled and also a great friend.

I was the first to wake up since the others were not seen in the main area of the inn. I sat down on a chair and opened up my book. I was curious to see if the book had more things to say. Turning to the page, I found nothing new. I was disappointed, but just then, my friends arrived. I put my book away and walked to them.

"So then, anything new from the book?" Kaku said.

"Nothing except what we have already seen." I replied.

"Well, we should get some food before we head on to fight Dirigie." Tori suggested.

We ate breakfast and soon went to North Myre. As we reached the back alley, Iris appeared behind us.

"Ryuuji, you and your friends must take this." Iris said, holding onto what looked to be four charms.

"What are they?" I asked.

"They are Hilder's Protection. I set out to make one for you, but Grandis told me you might bring some friends. As such, I made several, but I did not know how many you would bring. I saw you and your friends earlier and quickly took four charms to give. These will fully protect you against the plague. I have no doubts that you are very strong in your holy powers, but Dirigie's plague is diabolical. You will need all the protection you can get." Iris explained.

"That'll be helpful. Thanks, Iris." Fear replied.

"Yes, thank you, Iris." I agreed and handed the charms. "We must go now, there is no time to waste."

We traversed through the alleyways, and the path started to open up. There were clues that Leshphon was getting closer and closer. The walls ached with erosion; the trees were dead, lifeless hands of hell; and the air was filled with a choking smell of death and despair. Rain started to fall, as if the presence of the town caused it. I began to feel a bit of the plague affecting me, but the charm glowed a bit and the effect was gone. I assume the others felt the same. We finally reached the town after some minutes. The plague was worse than we thought if it could stretch for that long. As we entered the town, we spotted some monsters. They were covered in what appeared to be oil. Slime, perhaps? They carried blades and slowly ambled about.

"Alright, looks like we have some Melting Knights to deal with." Fear started.

"You know about their type?" I asked.

"Yeah. I tried to learn about the area as much as I could yesterday. Going into an Apostle's place warrants some info-searching. Anyways, like I said, they're called Melting Knights. Don't really know if they were regular townspeople that lived here and then turned into these or if they were actual knights that somehow got affected. Maybe Dirigie created them himself, but all I know is, they aren't _too _dangerous. They're slow, obviously. They can slash downward, which also sends a slash wave forward. Best to not stay in the same spot. Probably also best to not stay too close, as they can send a shockwave. Now, once we damage them enough, they'll turn into puddles. We'll have to burn them someway." Fear explained.

"Bombs and flamethrower, I got them all." Tori replied.

"Great, then this should be easy enough." Fear said.

With that, we moved forward and attacked the Melting Knights. While each one was slow, they seemed to have a large amount of defense. They were not pushed back by our attacks; they only slowly moved forward with an occasional sword wave slash. However, Tori and Kaku had a bit of magic with them. They infused their bullets with the power of light. Now we could see the knights were hurting. They moved slower as their bodies had holes starting to form. You could see the substance on them dripping onto the ground. Once they were all puddles, Tori took out some sort of handle out from his jacket, connected it to his revolver, and pulled the trigger. The gun breathed fire onto the puddles and they exploded. Smoke passed up and lingered.

"Just how exactly does that flamethrower even work?" Fear asked.

"Technology's great, isn't it? Asked one of my friends for a custom-made flamethrower attachment." Tori began. "It's better than lugging around the big flamethrower that all Launchers carry. Power isn't as great, though. But anyways, the handle of it contains the gas to get the flame. By pressing the trigger, it sends the gas into the barrel and also sparks it, getting that flame out of it. That's what my friend says anyways, but I don't really care too much. It works just fine for me, and that's all it matters."

"Why did you even ask for the attachment?" Fear asked.

"You never know when you might need a fire, especially when you're a Ranger out in an adventure."

"Well, I suppose it really doesn't matter since it's making this easier."

"So Fear, is there anything else ahead of us that we should know?" I asked.

"Quite a lot more, actually. I've got a little book to keep notes on them." Fear got the book out and handed it to Kaku. As Kaku and Tori read, Fear continued, "From what I've gathered, there are six separate locations for the monsters and guardians here. We just cleared the first one that had the melting knights." Fear then took out a map and gave it to me. "As you can see, the next closest one is Sorcerer Nazalo."

"Looks like it can clone itself. Those clones can in turn summon something called Gaklas. And then those Gaklas can create clones of themselves." Kaku said. "Geez, that's gonna be annoying as hell. I'm pretty sure we can kill Nazalo off before it can clone itself though."

"Then let's continue." I said. Before the fight with the Melting Knights, I had given my blessings to everyone. Since much time has passed, I sent my prayers once again and we were strong as we were before. I got myself ready for my javelin of light. If my friends were to unleash their attacks on Nazalo, I must try to keep Nazalo down and still with my javelin.

As soon as we saw Nazalo, it was getting ready to clone itself. I quickly threw my javelin and my friends readily acted. Nazalo was destroyed before anything worse could happen.

"Alright! Knew we could do it!" Kaku exclaimed. "Now then, we have some Divals to take care of next, right?"

"Right. They're small, they're annoying, they can spit poison that either blinds you or makes you bleed, and they like to rush. They're similar to the Melting Knights as they will also form puddles once they have received enough damage." Fear explained.

"Well alright, gonna be two uses of my flamethrower today." Tori replied.

We progressed through. We heard the Divals before we saw them. They were quite loud, and from the sounds of them, it was a rather large group. Because they liked to rush, I knew that a deflection wall was best in keeping them away. As soon as they saw us, they quickly moved. I sent out a deflection wall and quickly followed with another-two walls coming together, keeping the Divals in place. The others quickly followed with their own attacks and puddles were formed. Tori burned them with his flamethrower.

"What should we expect next?" I asked.

"Well, first of all, we should wait for your spells to wear off." Fear replied.

"How come?"

"The next monster is called Scarver. He's a giant rat, which means we'll have to watch out for any bleeding. He can also devour the spells, which will have a very fatal effect on us all. He's also got a lot of near-invisible small rats. They're really fast, and Scarver can eat them which would make him heal as well as get stronger."

"So, do we take care of the small rats first or do we strike the big guy?" Tori asked.

"Personally, I'd say Scarver just so we don't have to deal with his crap." Kaku replied.

"I agree, if we can get Scarver first," Fear said and turned to me, "then you can cast your spells again."

I nodded. "Then the very least I can do is to try and keep him in one place."

The others nodded. The spells wore off soon after and we trudged along the muddy path. Thunder and lightning were sound, as if heading deeper into the town was a path to hell. Nonetheless, we were not discouraged. We had come this far, there was no backing down. We finally saw Scarver; he was on the ground and looking as if he was eating something. Upon closer inspection, we saw it was the Mad Piper.

"Wait, the Mad Piper? What's he doing here?" Kaku questioned.

"And to think, we thought we took care of him in Hamelin." Fear replied.

Scarver most likely sensed our presence, for he quickly turned around and saw us. We sprang into action. As soon as I sent my two walls, Tori and Kaku were quick to keep him airborne. Fear ran up close and gave many cuts, slashes, and stabs. I tried my best to help by attacking with blades of purity and punches. I was sure Scarver was dead, but if it wasn't enough, I'm sure the explosion from the walls colliding would insure it.

"Alright, so he's dead." Tori started. "Should we go after the small rats or just leave them?"

"Take them out. Remember, they're extremely fast. They would have no troubles catching up to us, and the last thing we need is distractions against the final two monsters." Fear replied.

"You said they were near invisible, right? Searching for them is gonna be a pain. You know of any way to make searching them easier?"

"I do have one. Ryuuji, you'll have to cast a light of divinity on me. Meanwhile, I'll use a sleepy clam flesh. The sleep will be extremely short, but it's enough to bring the rats to me. Then we can attack them."

Hearing this, I conjured up my light of divinity and Fear ate the sleepy clam. As she said, the rats quickly scurried to where she was and tried to bite her. My light of divinity was a good enough shield, so we took care of the now-insignificant rats.

"Alright, we're almost there. Just one more and then it's time to fight Dirigie." Tori said.

"Right. Next one is Duke Agonis. He's a lot like Guardian Aegis from King's Relic. He'll have an aura, either red or yellow. Red means that we'll have to use ranged attacks. Tori and Kaku, you guys are fine since you're Rangers. Yellow means close up." Fear clarified.

"Says here that he'll heal up, reflect the damage, and also give status effects if we hit him incorrectly." Kaku added.

"Talk about triple threat triad." Tori replied.

"Anything else we should know?" I asked.

"Yes. Whenever he changes auras, he'll pulse. Avoid hitting him when he pulses or a lot of damage will occur. There's also a small portal that'll suck us in. It'll instantly kill us, but resources say that it's very easy to evade." Fear expanded.

"If that it all, then let us continue." I said. We walked onwards. I was getting nervous, the closer we delved, the stronger the sense of death felt. But I was close to getting my answers, yet I felt as though I did not want them. It was conflicting, to say the least. After some minutes, we finally found Dirigie's protector, Duke Agonis.

"You! Who has sent you?" Duke Agonis yelled.

"Why do you want to know?" I replied.

"I want to know...if the prophesized group is here."

"Prophesized group? We know no such thing. We have come for information about this book."

"That book..." Agonis started, "that book, where...did you find it?"

"So you know of it too? Tell me about it!"

"Hehe...yes I know of the book, but I only know it from Master Dirigie. If you want complete information...then you'll have to meet up with him. But if you want to meet up with him...you will have to go through me!" Agonis lunged forward.

We all split up and I tried my best to cast my spells. Agonis switched from aura to aura, laughing and swiping at us. Wounds were inflicted and I tried my best to heal my friends. The aura change made it tough for us to defeat him fast, and we were suffering more attacks than he was. I raised my hands to the sky for light and my healing wind appeared. Tori and Kaku kept shooting, they dared not try to attack in close range. Fear was much better as he was fast. Stabs pierced through Agonis, and Fear continued to chop and hack at him. I dared not try to attack, I was focused on supporting my friends. After what seemed like hours, Duke Agonis was defeated.

"Hehe...so you are indeed worthy of knowing. What a shame it is to lose against a group that was not prophesized, yet what an honor to fight such a strong group. I have no doubts that Dirigie will be disappointed in my death; the prophesized group shall have an easy time." Agonis said in a low voice.

"What is this prophecy you speak of?" I asked.

"That does not concern you...you have your own matters to attend to. And they are important matters, yes...Go quickly to Dirigie. I...have nothing else...to say." Agonis spoke his last words.

I turned to my friends and asked, "What do you think the prophecy is?"

"Who knows. It's definitely interesting, but he said we weren't the ones." Tori replied. "He's also right though, we have to get this thing done. Dirigie's the only one left, so we gotta get the information now."

"Alright Fear, what's Dirigie got?" Kaku asked.

"Get yourself ready, we are fighting an Apostle after all. This is going to be long. Reduces our power significantly, has super armor for most of its attacks, heals quite fast, high shadow resistance, 3-hit combo that deals a large amount of damage, transforms into a drill and lunges forward with super armor, make itself turn into a whirlwind, elemental changes and absorption, turns us into zombies, can change the wind direction to increase the zombifying process, and summons fragments of himself that not only can poison us, but speeds up his attacks as well as the zombifying process. Whew." Fear sighed.

"That's...quite a bit." Kaku said.

"We've come this far. There's no turning back now." I responded. "Whatever happens, we must be victorious."

"Right. Well then, are we all ready?" Kaku answered.

We all nodded and moved forward for our final stop in this town. By this point, the sky was completely pitch black and covered with grim clouds. The rain smashed the grounds and splattered like sharp ice. The air was cold and the lightning ominous. Finally, we reached the center. We went closer and Dirigie appeared.

"Are you the warriors of the Legend?" Dirigie questioned.

"No. We are here for answers." I responded.

"Answers? What would you have for questi-" Dirigie began but stopped when he saw my book. "...Hehe, I see now. Yes, you want answers. You are wondering about the book..."

"What do you know?" I yelled. "You will tell us now!"

"Are you so naive as to think that I would tell you right away? No...I will not tell. You must prove to me that you are worthy. If you are indeed the person to fight Him, then show me! You will fight alone...your friends may not intervene." Dirigie cited the conditions.

"What? But that's impossible!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah seriously! We're friends here, you can't expect us to just stand aside!" Tori responded.

"Oh but I do! You see, if he wishes to receive the answers and defeat Him...he'll have to fight me alone. Any other way and I would not speak, even if I was to die. Hahahahaha!"

"Come on now! That's a f***ing cop out! You're just being a coward!" Kaku retorted.

"Am I now? I'll tell you what, there's a reason why he must fight alone. I need to see if he has the power. Not just any, but a certain kind. What is it? Well, why don't you let your friend fight me and find out? So what shall it be, Crusader?"

My friends looked at me, and I hung my head in thought. There was only one way to do this, and I was to fight.

"I will fight." I returned. "Friends, please do not intervene."

They all had a look of terrifying fear, but I knew what I had to do. I cast the spells on myself and got ready. Dirigie leapt forward and tried to bite me. I countered with blades of purity and punched him. Dirigie responded by changing into a whirlwind and chased me. I tried to escape, but Dirigie picked up speed and collided with me. I attacked with more blades of purity but Dirigie started to glow faintly white. I had a feeling that this was the elemental shift, so I knew that light attacks would not work. Luckily, my deflection wall was not imbued with light, and so I brought it up to get some distance. Dirigie broke through the wall though and lunged for me. He got a bite in and a few slashes, but I knocked him away with my giant cross. I sent up my pressure walls this time. Dirigie could not get out, so I was hoping the following explosion would be enough to damage him severely. The walls collided and exploded, but Dirigie still seemed to be at full. The battle transpired for a few more minutes, which felt like hours. I was tired and my heals were not fast enough. Dirigie looked as though he could fight for days on end.

"Is that it? Is that all you got?" Dirigie taunted. "Surely the book chose a strong and powerful man to defeat Him. You are nothing! If this is it, then you shall die!"

"Hold on! We're not just going to let you kill him." Tori exclaimed and ran to me.

The others followed him and they all stood in front of me.

"Hah! If that is the case, then you shall _all die_!" Dirigie yelled.

He ran and lunged at us. My friends were ready to attack, and I was too. I was not to go down without a fight. However, an unexpected thing happened next. Dirigie was in the air, perhaps two feet away from us. Suddenly, a giant dark hand appeared out of a portal in front of us and conflicted with Dirigie. We were all surprised.

"...What was that?" I asked with great difficulty.

"Heh...so now it appears...That will be the answer. I have nothing more to say. Congratulations, Crusader, the power arrives..." Dirigie started to walk backwards.

"The...power? Wait! What is it? You cannot leave yet!" I implored.

"I have nothing else. Why don't you check the book?" He said with a smug smile. A portal started to appear behind him.

"Oh no you don't! You'll tell us everything you know!" Tori exclaimed and ran towards Dirigie.

Dirigie disappeared into the portal before Tori could grab him. He fell and slammed the ground.

"D*** it! I was this close!" He said with melancholy.

I opened the book to the words. There was a new stanza.

_Thou hast begun. The initiation hast been done._

_The knowledge thou shall seek. Thy God shall be weak._

_Thy power hast appeared. Thou shall defeat the Overseer._

_Now thou must train. Lest thy actions be in vain._

_Go to thy teacher. Thy holy one, the preacher._

_She will know. And you shall learn and grow._


	4. Divine Training

Entry: Divine Training

"So what do you think that giant dark hand was all about?" Kaku asked as we walked back to Hendon Myre.

"I do not know. Dirigie knew, but I have a feeling that Grandis might know about it as well." I replied.

The weather was slowly reverting to the bright and sunny side. I must admit, it was nice to be out of the rain and into warm rays. We reached the back alleys of Hendon Myre and hurriedly headed off to the church.

"Ah, Ryuuji and friends, have you acquired new information?" Grandis said when she saw us.

"We have. We did not defeat Dirigie, but he knew of the book." I began. "He wanted me to fight alone because there was a hidden power inside me. I agreed, but I was battered about. My friends tried to help me, but just as he tried to attack us, a large dark hand appeared in front of us and stopped him."

"A large dark hand?"

"Yes. It was surprising for all of us, but apparently, it was the power that Dirigie was talking about. I am not too sure about it though, the hand looked…like a demon's hand."

"This is troubling…"

"There is something else. The book tells me that I must start training now. It told me that I was to learn more from you."

"Learn? Hm, the only things you have not learned yet are some attacks. Those attacks are usually not learned from Crusaders as most want to support their friends with spells that increase their strength and magic and heal them. However, other Crusaders choose the path of the divine warrior and wish to fight instead of heal or power up their friends. There has never been a combination of both, the training would be too strenuous. However, I believe you have the power and will to accomplish it. Once we have done enough, I will tell you more of the dark hand and where you must go next."

"But, why can you not tell me now?"

"Because, it is important for you to know those skills. Also, you must be prepared if you are to meet...Michael."

"Michael? Who is this Michael?"

"I'm sorry for not being specific enough. I mean the 11th Apostle, Michael."

"But, why must I meet him?"

"He will be the one to raise you to higher heights. But to do that, you must be skilled in what I will teach you. My training alone is not enough for the Corrupt One."

"I see..." I turned to my friends, "it is time for me to begin the next step. I thank you all very kindly for the help in Leshphon."

"Wait, will we be able to help when you fight the God?" Tori asked.

"I do not think so." Grandis replied. "I have a feeling that Ryuuji must fight alone, just as he was against Dirigie. I don't think the book said of a group defeating the Corrupt One."

"It is true. I will most likely have to be in solitude. There would be no point in me training so extensively, otherwise." I added.

"Alright, you go do your thing, then." Kaku said. "Just remember, if ya need anything, we'll be here."

I nodded. My friends left and I underwent training. For weeks, I have meditated, learned to harness the power of light for attacks, and practiced. I was still questioning the dark hand, but I was sure that I would learn of it when the time came. Perhaps Michael would explain it. Nevertheless, I decided to document my training.

The first few things I was to do was to strengthen my blades of purity, strengthen my deflection walls, and learn a new skill called crashing cross. Meditating was, for the most part, one of the two ways to enhance my skills. The other was practicing with the skill, using more energy than usual and repeating it. It is like when you practice running. You try to run more and more each time. It might be difficult to reach five miles, but after a while, five miles is but child's play. Crashing cross was relatively easy to learn. A holy cross comes out and attacks my enemy. However, the bonuses it gives is what really matters. It increases my attack strength, which will only make my attacks stronger. Crashing cross can also increase my party members' attacks, so it is a very

valuable skill in my arsenal.

Next, I had to learn flash sphere. This was somewhat harder to learn, but it was still manageable. After casting, a glowing golden sphere appears and slowly travels forward. After a few seconds, it explodes and can stun anyone that is facing the sphere. After learning this, I was to learn a more advance sphere, the flash shrapnel. It was like the flash sphere, only more powerful and after the explosion, several particles linger and deal damage.

By this point, training was no longer an easy task. My next skill was the hammer of repentance. It took me quite a while to actually learn it. I raise my hands so that a tremendous hammer appears. Then I can slam it to the ground, which has a chance to make enemies attack their own allies. I believe they could also be put in a state of confusion. However, I was still slow in this. It took much too long to summon and the smash was not very strong. I took about four days to fully maximize the speed and power.

Afterwards, it was time to learn the skill, righteous judgment. This was one of the hardest things to ever learn. According to Grandis, blades were to appear from a ring in front of me and then an angel appeared to deliver the final strike. Unfortunately for me, the first time I tried had only about three blades come out. It was putting much strain on me. Day after day, I tried again. I was getting better at it, but I still was not able to summon the angel. I was able to speed up the blade strikes, but the angel just would not appear. After about two weeks, I was finally able to get the angel and his divine strike.

"You have done well so far." Grandis complimented. "There is one more skill you must learn."

"What is it?" I asked.

"It will be hardest one yet. The skill is called Apocalypse."

"Apocalypse? That does not sound like a skill that a Crusader would get."

"Apocalypse uses both light and dark. The dark hand you summoned is an indication that you have some control of darkness. It will be an invaluable skill and Michael will be involved in making it stronger."

With that, I began the arduous task of acquiring Apocalypse. I was able to bring out the shining light sphere with relative ease, but there was no darkness orb. Grandis told me that the light orb crystal was to change to dark. Instantly afterwards, there would be dark streams, moving around in a large area, and then the streams would move towards the center for a finishing explosion. Finally, the dark crystal appeared. Day by day, it stayed out longer, but the lasers never connected at the center for the explosion. This took longer than my righteous judgment, but I was determined to master it. After about three to four weeks, it was done.

"Well done, Ryuuji. You have mastered everything I can teach you." Grandis said with joy.

"Yes, and I thank you, Grandis. However, I felt as though I took too long. The Corrupt One might be even stronger than before." I responded.

"I understand your concerns, but I am sure that your training will go by much faster now. You know of the core skills, Michael will teach you even more advanced versions of what you have learned."

"Where must I go to meet Michael."

"The Interdimensional Rift. You must enter it and go to the Black Earth. A woman named Dorothy stands close by. If she asks, tell her that you were sent by me for important business with Michael. Normally, Dungeon Fighters would have to fight devastating monsters before even meeting Michael, but I believe you can transport to him directly. However, you will need protection. There is a protection aura called the Exorcism Parameter. If you do not have enough, your attacks would suffer and your vitality and spirit lowered."

"How would I increase it?"

"Before you go to the Interdimensional Rift, the other priests, priestesses, and I will bless you. It should be enough to protect you so you may meet Michael."

"Very well. I will rest today and go tomorrow."

"Splendid. I will see you then. Congratulations again on your training, Ryuuji."

"Thank you." I nodded. I was curious as to why Michael was in Black Earth, but I did not want to ask yet. I would probably ask Michael himself. Regardless, I met up with my friends and told them of my training. We had some fun but I rested early. I opened my book once again to check for new stanzas, but there was none. I closed it and went to sleep. The next day would be an important one.


	5. The Cross and the Angel

Entry: The Cross and the Angel

I woke up with a great feeling of dread. I only counted it as nervousness and thought of the day before when I visited my friends.

While I was training, I had very little time to be in their company, and so I wished to join them for a bit before I was off to do more training. I did not see them in the main area of the inn, so I decided to check on Tori's bar. He was a bartender of magnificent skill, and sure enough, my friends were there.

"Hello everyone." I greeted when I entered.

"Hey Ryuuji! It's been a long while since you started that training." Tori said.

"Haha, yes it was indeed long. But since I haven't seen you guys in such a long time, I thought right now would be a good moment." I replied.

"So, how was the training?" Kaku asked.

"It has been good. I've learned many new skills that will surely help me, but I'm to meet with Michael through the Interdimensional Rift." I responded.

"Wait, the Interdimensional Rift? Michael? Why would you need to meet up with him?" Fear asked.

"According to Grandis, the powers I have learned are still not enough to defeat the Corrupt One. I must go to Michael so that he can advance my spells and attacks. Personally, I do not like the idea of doing this all by myself. The responsibility is too great. I feel like I'll turn into a super being with no feelings or mind. The training is strenuous, the power could lead to selfishness, the responsibility fills me with so much concern that I might fail." I sighed. "I really do wish you guys could help me. But at the same time, to drag you to such a thing is terrible. Ah, I'm sorry for saying such things."

"Don't worry about it." Tori replied. "We can't blame you for feeling this way. Nobody would be completely fine with a task like this."

"Besides, we're your friends. We got your back. If you feel like venting something, we're all ears." Kaku added.

"It is a shame that we can't help in this prophecy, but we can lend you our support. Look, you can do this. We all have faith in you, and you can put your faith in us. Just promise us that you'll be alive for another drink." Fear requested.

I looked at my friends, they truly believed that I could do such a thing. I gave in and smiled, "I promise. I promise that when this is all over, I shall be back."

"Great! Hey, since you'll be busy for a while, why don't we get a picture of us all as a keepsake? I got a camera in the back." Tori said, but he was already getting the camera before anyone could reply. He came back with a camera and made us get ready for the picture. He set a timer so that he could join as well. The camera snapped and a picture appeared.

"It's a nice picture." Fear said.

"Yeap, now I want you to keep it, Ryuuji. Keep it and never let it go. We'll be there with you in spirit." Tori requested.

I took it and nodded, "I will."

"Now then! How about a cocktail, huh Ryuuji?"

"Haha, no thanks. You know I always get water."

"Ahhh, same old Ryuuji." Tori laughed. "Alright, I'll go get you some water."

We spent some time talking and joking around. It was such a nice rest after the training I did with Grandis. I took out the picture again as I sat on my bed. It was a precious thing, and one that would be guarded so very closely. Feeling my nervousness slowly removed, I went off to see Grandis and the priests and priestesses that were to bless me. After receiving the blessing, I was ready to head into Aphelia Post. It was a relatively long walk as it was nearing late afternoon when I reached Elvenguard. By the time I entered Aphelia Post, it was already dusk. Although, Aphelia Post always seems to be dark and shrouded by the night sky. I don't believe I have ever seen sunlight here. Nevertheless, I went to the Interdimensional Rift.

"Halt! What business do you being here?" Dorothy said.

"I have come to meet with Michael. I must train with him so that I may defeat a great evil." I replied.

"And what evil is that?"

"The evil that is a corrupted God. If I do not defeat him, we shall all perish. I have this book as proof if you do not believe." I opened up the book.

She took it. "It is peculiar, yes, but how do I know this is real?"

"Because I have talked with Grandis and Iris the fortune teller along with Dirigie the Apostle. They have confirmed the authenticity of those words."

"...I see. Very well, Crusader, you may go."

With this, I entered the Interdimensional Rift. I was curious to see how it would know to transport me to Michael. There was no indication of a location. I entered, but even in the rift, there was nothing I could do. Yet somehow it still transported me to Black Earth. The area around me was desolate. Cracks intervene in the rough, extinct ground. Exhausted, dusty skeletons were littered every few yards. Rocks and stones barely stood as erosion attacked them. Trees were lifeless husks with branches that were so wrinkled, so rotted. Wooded barricades and planks were scattered throughout, broken by monsters and by time. Some weapons were cemented in the rocks, rust browning and hardening around them. Truly, the name Black Earth was fitting. I was surprised to see this, but was also baffled as to why Michael would be here. The rift did not transport me directly to him as he was nowhere in sight. But, as the only path left was forward, I traveled on. I encountered no monsters, but did felt a presence as I continued. I finally found Michael after a few minutes.

"Who are you?" Michael asked sternly.

"I am a Crusader, ZenRyuuji, sent by Grandis Gracia of Lemidia Basilica for training." I returned.

"Training? I do not train others. For what reason should I train you?"

"The reason is this." I took out the book. "A fortune teller said that there were marks of Dirigie's energy in it. I encountered Dirigie only to see that a dark hand can appear from a portal in front of me. I have trained with Grandis Gracia so that I could begin my advance training with you."

"I see, so you have the book now. Yes, Dirigie took a part in creating that book. So did I."

"But if you had a part in it and Dirigie as well, why could you both not confront the Corrupt One yourself?"

"I am here to prevent Dungeon Fighters from destroying Ozma."

"Prevent? But why? All Priests follow a single mission that is to stop the resurrection of Ozma. If Ozma is alive, then should he not be dead?"

"Crusader, there are important matters and this does not concern you. Destroying Ozma will only help Hilder's plans, but you are here to stop the Corrupt One."

"Then what of Dirigie? Why did he do it?"

"I do not know. He kept his reasons secret from me. But enough of this, if you are to defeat the Corrupt One, then we must start now."

"Okay. What is the first thing I must do?"

"The first thing you must do is to use your giant cross to your advantage. You no doubt have noticed throughout your life that the cross bears special properties designed for support and various other specialties. However, the cross can also be used as an extension, a weapon to further advance your own skills. Your family cross is extraordinary, its power can give you the strength you need to confront the Corrupt One."

I held my cross in front of me and examined it. It was special, I knew. However, I only thought that it would increase my blessings.

"For example, flash sphere is a slow-moving sphere of light, but the cross can be used to direct its path and partly change the speed. The cross also increases the power of the sphere. That shall be your first task, to command the sphere with your cross. If you can succeed with that, then you can also use it with flash sphere."

For about half an hour, I tried it. It was quite easy as Michael explained that the cross also had its own mana of sorts. Coupled with the training I had done with Grandis, I was able to control it quite soon. It took me a little longer with flash sphere, but I also succeeded in manipulating it.

The next course was using my cross to help with my hammer of repentance.

"When you create a pure hammer, it takes quite a bit of your mana to even form. If you use your cross as a guide, then it takes less mana to conjure it up, which means you can focus more on making it stronger. It can become stronger by utilizing the mana from the cross as well. Practice with it the rest of the time. After a while, you should be able to swing your cross with a hammer extension as a bonus. But you must know, this does not make it as strong as a smash. You get more range if you swing the cross like a normal attack, but it'll only be half as strong as a regular hammer of repentance."

And so I did just that. For hours, I conjured up a hammer and slammed it to the ground. The power was amazingly strong. I was beginning to feel that I had a chance now. A chance to defeat the Corrupt One. After a while, using the hammer became second nature. Every swing of the cross, whether it was horizontal or diagonal, had a hammer extension. But even if it became second nature, I was struck with a large dose of fatigue.

"You have done well today. Come back tomorrow and we shall continue with the training."

"Thank you very much." I said with sweat rolling down my head. My body ached terribly all over. But I had enough energy to go back to the rift and hopefully find an inn. I went back to Aphelia Post and asked Klonter if there were any places where I could rest. He told me of one and I quickly fell asleep upon climbing onto a bed.

The next day, I excitedly went back to the Interdimensional Rift. It sounds absurd, but I was finally starting to see and feel that maybe I had a chance against the Corrupt One. I was ecstatic with the results. I eagerly entered the rift and walked through Black Earth once more. I thought of what we might learn next. It was a peculiar thing that I don't think many people feel. The yearning to just learn, to figure out what might be used next, the curiosity of it all.

"Ah, you're back." Michael started. "Yes, we'll begin with something a little bit different than yesterday."

"So I won't use my cross?" I asked.

"Yes, not for now. Instead, we shall call upon the Angel that appears when you use righteous judgment."

"Call upon the Angel? What do you mean?"

"Angels serve the Gods, but angels also serve Crusaders. Not just for when you use righteous judgment. Let me show you my Angel."

He called forth his Angel, and it was truly a magnificent sight to behold. The Angel wore similar clothing as Michael. He was taller, with six wings on his back. The hair was grayish-blue with what seemed to be a head guard protecting his head. It was breathtaking, to be in the presence of such a divine figure. You could feel the importance resonating.

"As you can see, he's out without me using righteous judgment. You will be able to do the same. You will have an ally, one that will stay with you till death."

Hearing this, I couldn't help but think of my own friends back in Arad. I was elated to learn that I would not be alone, though. An ally at my side, and my hopes were increased.

"So what must I do to?" I asked.

"It is easy, you will only have to do a righteous judgment. When the Angel appears, I will call out to him. The problem is, there is no established bond between you two. To the Angel, he is only helping you with one skill. There is no friendship. But however, once you create that bond, he will not only further increase your spells, he will also attack with his own skills. Only then, can he be a true ally to you, right?"

"Right. Let us start." I summoned the circle and light spears started to fall. Then the Angel came out.

"Angel of Ryuuji! Come forth!" Michael said before the Angel could drive the giant spear.

The Angel stopped and looked at Michael. He then looked at me and dropped down to crouch in front of me. Michael also looked at me and gave me a nod.

"What is your name?" I asked.

"Nevin, my lord." Nevin replied.

"Thank you very much, Nevin, but you need not call me that. You are not a servant like a butler. You are a friend."

"...Friend?"

"Yes, a friend. Like how a Mechanic has a little robot assistant that is a friend. Like my own friends back in Arad. Please, stand up and do not bow."

Nevin nodded and stood up.

"Yes, this is good. It's the beginning, but I'm sure you two shall do fine against the Corrupt One. Remember, you are connected to Nevin as Nevin is connected to you. He has been looking over you ever since you were born, just as mine has with me." Michael added.

I turned to Nevin, "And you were only able to help me through the use of righteous judgment?"

He nodded.

"But, that cannot be! For so long, I have gone the road of supporting my friends, and that road had no use for righteous judgment. If you were looking over me, then why were you unable to help me by other means?"

"It is from a sealed contract made upon birth. We are used for offensive tactics, but that is only if the Crusader himself chooses to do so as well. Many Crusaders have angels watching over them, but can never actually have the angels help."

"...Then I deeply apologize."

"There is no need to apologize. We all knew most would go the support route."

"Yes, but it's the feeling of neglect that makes me apologize. We are so close, yet we were so far apart still before all of this."

"Yes, I understand. But that is the past now. As you have said, we are friends, yes? Then let us serve each other with no regrets."

Nevin got his hand out for a shake. I agreed and shook hands with him.

"This is very good. The bond is starting to grow already. Okay, Ryuuji, it is time for your final skill." Michael started. "It's time to learn the Ultimate Apocalypse. It starts out the same, a holy sphere shall rise and grant you bonus defenses and boosts in strength. However, when the sphere turns dark, it will not only shoot dark lasers. Light, water, fire, and darkness will be spread all around the parameters of the circle. As a true apocalypse, it has all the main elements. This attack will take the most out of you. You can use your cross still to increase the power twofold. You will have to throw the cross into the sphere. It'll be better if Nevin was able to thrust the cross into the sphere, so remember that teamwork is the best option for the strongest apocalypse. We shall start now, it'll make you extremely tired and you'll need about an hour's rest."

Hour after hour, I tried my hands at the Ultimate Apocalypse. I was able to get light and dark lasers on the first try, but the other elements would only come in the attempts after. Fatigue was astronomical. My body was sore on every break, but I still tried my hardest for the elements. I would not stop until I completed it. The world depended on it. Pushing my body harder than ever, I cast the elements. The fire and water were not actually lasers, but twisters that would cover the enter circle. Feeling as though I was about to die, I tried it once more to complete it, giving it all of my might. The lasers crossed and reflected while the twisters collided and expanded. Then, they all came towards the center and mixed to form the ultimate explosion. Feeling accomplished, I fell down and was completely knocked out. My final thoughts were that if I could finish it when I was dead tired, then maybe it would be even better when I was at my fullest energy.

The next few moments were explained to me when I woke up.

"He smiled, and then said 'He's done it. The Ultimate Apocalypse. Nevin, please take him back to Arad and make sure he gets plenty of rest. He is ready to fight the Corrupt One. My blessings go out to him.'" Nevin described. "Then I picked you up and went back Arad. I had met a man named Klonter who said you were resting here, and so I brought you to your bed."

"And what about you?" I asked.

"Ah, I transported myself back to my own home for rest. I woke up and quickly went to check on you. You were still asleep so I waited a bit."

"I see. Nevin, it's almost time to fight Him."

"Yes indeed. I shall be right by you for all of it."

I smiled at this, even if the battle was approaching and I might not make it out alive.


	6. Arrival of the End

Entry: Arrival of the End

I rested several days after all of that. I had to make sure I was well rested for battle. I had talked with Grandis and showed her Nevin as well. Grandis had told me that she was working with Iris to find the location of the Corrupt One. After some time, they had found out that the only way to get to Him was through the Interdimensional Rift. After this, I went to meet my friends once more. It was a joyous yet somber day as it could have been my final moment with them. I introduced Nevin to them and they enjoyed each other's company. They were happy to see that I would not be alone in the fight. Knowing that this could be my last time with them, we all headed out to enjoy some time together. Normally, I would not partake in any of the activities we did that day, but as it could have been my last, being a kid was a gift to us all. Nevin took this time to rest at home, however. It seemed that he had a family. It was fine by me, I was with my other family. Kaku and Tori decided we should go to Ghent. My simple break turned into a vacation of sorts. It was fine, after all the training I had done, I could at least enjoy spending more time with my friends. Games were played, and I was curious as to how those things could be made. Not that I dislike them, but they were fascinating technology. Kaku and Tori drove some motorcycles, it seemed, that was hooked to a machine. They were racing each other, and Fear was cheering both on. I was studying it, but the act was obvious and Fear told me to relax. She took me over to a game with what appeared to be drums, and she played beat by beat to several songs.

"Now you try it." Fear said while holding the drumsticks.

I was reluctant to do it in all honesty. But however, I decided to give it a go, "Alright, I will try."

I played through some songs, stumbling a bit at times but did adequately well for my standards. Kaku and Tori on the other hand were surprised I was able to do such a thing.

"Looks like someone's got rhythm!" Tori exclaimed.

"And you never played games at all?" Kaku asked. "Come on, Ryuuji. You're missing out on a lot of other games."

After that drum simulation, I suppose my inner child had broken its chains. I went on to enjoy more games, which was surprising to me yet so enjoyable. We went to restaurants and ate, we went to music stores and listened to all the various songs they had, the kid was in heaven as far as I could tell. When we returned to Arad, we all stopped by Tori's bar. I finally tried out one of Tori's drinks. He was elated and excitedly concocted a drink for me. Like I was before, I was reluctant to try. Once the drink had flowed, euphoria surrounded me in a soft blanket of warm delight. I was glad to have friends like them. They were glad to have met me. I delighted in events that happened. The distressed feeling of the solitude of death lingered by...

The day had come. I had checked the book once more, but there was nothing new. It was obvious it knew of what was to happen today. The air was different when I awoke. The sense of dread filled the atmosphere, and only I was to suffocate in it. I had said my goodbyes the night before. Nevin was close by in spirit, ready to appear when I asked for him. I walked to the Interdimensional Rift, knowing that each step was a step closer to fate. There were no questions to the rift. Stepping in, I knew it that the rift would teleport me to my destined spot. With a pure objective and determination in my heart, I was ready.

The area surrounding me was like a dream. There were no obstacles of any sort. There were no buildings, no weapons, no vehicles, no life. There was a dust around the ground. The ground itself was like a cloud. Was this the heaven in which He resided? Or was it a determined arena, a cloudy field where blood would be drawn? A light rested high in the sky, illuminating the field. To me, it felt artificial. I called for Nevin for we had to be ready at all times now. I heard the rift slowly close behind me, trapping me on this vast, colossal island. There was no going back. I cast my blessings and strengthened myself. With a look around once more, we decided the only direction was forward, as it has been on our adventure, and as it will be with all life.

The Corrupt One was there in the horizon of our view. He was only as tall as me, but his person was completely different from everything else. There were no features; there were no clothes. There was only a glowing, bright body standing. A bland embodiment, or perhaps a way for me to paint my own edition of him? It did not matter. No eyes or mouth was present, yet I could feel as though he saw me and smiled. A dark aura could be felt from Him.

"You are here." It said in a loud, booming voice.

"I am. Just as you are." I replied.

"Fate has it made that one of us shall die."

"And if that is so, then let fate decide who."

"Hah! What is fate to me? It is nothing but shackles to restrict the living's freedom."

"If I am a servant to fate, but your death is the reward, then I welcome fate."

"You so naively wish to believe that I shall die? Well, even if it is destiny for you to win, I will oppose it and drag you down to me!" He yelled before lunging towards me.

Nevin and I both split to opposite sides. The God's arms were shaped like blades now. I quickly took my cross to swing out a hammer of light. He blocked it by holding his right blade vertically. Such strength to block my attack! Even if the hammer was weaker, it was considerably stronger than most Crusaders would have it. Nevin was quick to strike his back with small light arrows, but He formed a shield on his left arm and blocked them. He rushed after me again, this time forming his blades into two hammers. I quickly put up my defensive shield, but the force of his attack was so great that I was sent through the air. I bounced on the ground, scratches already apparent on my body. The shield was still up, but cracks were visible everywhere. He slammed down on the ground, forming a huge shockwave. The ground might have looked like a cloud ,but it was very much hard like stone. Nevin was fine as he could fly, but I had to brace myself for it. There was no jumping from it, the shockwave was massive. The shockwave passed, but He was right in front of me! Nevin quickly threw a javelin and knocked him back. I quickly formed a hammer and slammed it onto Him. I felt the hammer hit, but He rose up back.

"Marvelous hit. That was quite the power, but not enough." He said.

He conjured up spears and proceeded to send them towards me. I tried to run away but I felt the spears attacking my shield. It was going to break, the cracks were increasing in length and number. Taking one chance I had with the spears stuck to the shield, I released the energy and hoped for the spears to fly into His direction. Two were able to fly in his direction. As he was surprised at the shield repel, he was slow in dodging the sharp blades heading toward him. They did not do much as they only scratched his shoulder and arm, but any damage was adequate. He gripped his arm real quick, and I took this time to set up pressure walls. Nevin was quick on the move and threw another javelin at Him. I followed suit and threw my own javelin at him. The walls inched closer, but it felt like a century for them to collide. The two javelins kept Him stunned for a while and the walls finally collided in a fantastic explosion. Now He looked like he was getting hurt considerably. A little groan here and a moan there was sound.

"You pesky, insignificant, lowly, asinine angel!" He yelled. "And you, Crusader. Don't think you'll win! But first..."

He turned toward the angel and leapt with great speed. Nevin was astonished but I tried to conjure up my hammer again. The hammer didn't reach but I had a back up plan. I ran as far as I could and projected a healing wind. The barrier appeared on him just in time, but too close for any comfort. Nevin took this chance to sweep Him aside with a spear. Nevin also brought up his own shield. The barrier was out, and He was furious now. He summoned three spears to follow Nevin. At the same time, he tried to lunge towards me again. I almost dodged the oncoming ram, but he grabbed my leg and swung me to the side. Nevin was busy trying to escape the spears, they gained on him little by little. He grabbed me by my collar.

"Tell me, what were you to do if you had succeeded?" He asked.

"What does it concern you, you foul fiend?" I responded.

"I'd like to know what you would do, can I not ask since you are about to die?"

"You assume I shall die right now!"

"Well no matter, whether you would live or not does not change what would happen. Any moment, your angel shall perish along with you." He changed his other arm into a blade, "Now die!"

But before he could deliver the final strike, the dark hand appeared once again. It grabbed Him and threw him aside. I saw Nevin was able to do away with the spears.

"The dark power..." He started. Taking no extra seconds, He took his fist and slammed into the ground. Shadows appeared and formed makeshift monsters that I've already seen. He then started to shoot a large laser at me from his hands. Nevin already knew what I was thinking and quickly went to dispatch the monsters with his spear of righteous judgment. Nevin aimed one at the Corrupt One which allowed me time to send out a flash sphere and a flash shrapnel. The Corrupt One decided to aim one laser at Nevin and one at me. I took my cross and controlled the spheres while I evaded the lasers. Running around Him, I pointed the cross to Him and forced the spheres to crash. The flash sphere stunned him while the flash shrapnel broke into smaller parts, dealing more damage to him. He was filled with rage and started a new method of attacking. His arms were moving and stretching like rubber and grabbed Nevin. He slammed Nevin down, and I called out to him. The move was bad, as He then used his arms and grabbed at me while Nevin was still knocked out. He moved me closer to him.

"Do you know how I was to be this way?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" I questioned back.

"How I turned evil. It all started with your birth, you see..." He took one of his arms and turned it into a small blade once again. "Ever since you were born, that was the day that the evil started. As you grew older and older, the evil increased further and further. The more you learn, the more I grew in strength." He slowly drove the blade through my left arm. The searing pain that coursed through my body was unbearable. I groaned and moaned in pain, but he only pushed deeper through and through. It was already out from the other end yet he continued. "We're connected the same way it is for you and your angel." He quickly pulled it out, the blade slicing through my muscles and tissues. "In a way, we're both the same person..." He continued with a another slow stab through my leg. "Your dark hand can't save you this time. How does it feel? The agony of your hand and your leg? The blood that slowly drips down, painting this glorious spot on which I stand? Your torture is my pleasure, and I would rather spend more time doing so. But you must die now, any longer and I risk more distractions."

I could say nothing, I could do nothing. There was only burning misery coursing through my veins. I could only hope for the light. I saw his blade rising, aimed at my heart. I closed my eyes and waited for the inevitable, so very sorry that I had failed the mission. With a pounding guilt in my head, my chest was stabbed by the blade of shame.

...But I did not die. I was still alive, though still very much sore. I saw Nevin was standing, and the two fairies above me were disappearing. It was then that I knew, Nevin gave me a second chance with the fountain of life. All of this was brought in a matter of a few milliseconds, I knew that there was still no time to rest. The God was still in front, so I quickly lifted my cross upwards, forcing a hammer to bring him up as well. As I have seen many Exorcists done before, I readied myself and struck him far. This brought me some rest for me and Nevin; I knew He would come back very soon.

"Nevin, we have to use it soon." I started while healing myself with the combine power of powerful heals. I also brought back my blessings.

"Yes, I agree. But how will we do so? The set up time is long, and He will surely avoid it easily." Nevin thought out.

"The only thing that I can think of is to bait him. The waiting time before the orb attacks would be a grand time for us to use our own spells. The aura would strengthen us immensely. If I can get in some crashing crosses, it should be able to increase our power tenfold." I thought about it for a bit. "...I might have a plan, but there's only one chance. We cannot hesitate." I told Nevin of the plan as fast as possible.

The Corrupt One teleported back. "Enough of this foolishness! You are only delaying the end."

He teleported in front of me and punched my face and kicked Nevin afar. Then he teleported behind me and tripped me, flipping me over and unleashing a barrage on my stomach. I did a quick crashing cross and knocked him off of me. He was several yards away from me, so I brought up a large deflection wall. He smashed it with ease and out of anger, but I took the moment to send another crashing cross. As long as it made contact, I was fine by it. He teleported once again and knocked me to my left with a strong hammer smash. Now my right arm was screaming with distress. I gripped it and tried to get up, but He was already in front of me. Nevin quickly brought forth a shield for me and the shield suffered a hit. Once again I did another crashing cross. I could not do anything else, I needed all the mana I could muster for the barrage of attacks I was to inflict. Teleportation was his best move and my worst nightmare, but I was able to summon the dark hand to stop him once. Another crashing cross was brought upon him. I had four, there was only one more crashing cross to go. Unfortunately, He increased his speed and for minutes I foolishly brought out blades of purity and the dark hand to try and stop him. The minutes of foolishness transformed into hours worth of pain for me. Nevil could not do much as he was saving his own mana, so it was up to Lady Luck for the grand finale.

I was tired, fatigue was settling in at such an inopportune time. And then, the miracle. I was able to land a blade of purity, which permitted time for my dark hand to appear. It grabbed Him and the final crashing cross was made.

"You keep hitting me with that cross, but what's the use? We know that you won't win. You're dead tired, but I still have vast vitality." He smiled, the face so unsettling with no facial expressions yet the appearance of a smile was there.

I knew this was the time to strike, the time to end it all!

"But even if you were to somehow win...don't think I would be gone!"

I stopped. What did he mean by this? What was the meaning of this? The internal conflict was tearing my mind apart. I had to kill him there, but I had to know what he was getting to. Decisions! Such rotten luck that the human curiosity was there to pull me back.

"Oho, you know not what lies beyond the battle."

I had to continue. It was for the good of everyone, this must end now!

"Silence! For too long I have toiled away and suffered curiosity and torment to get to this moment. For me, I do not care what happens." I replied.

"You say that now, but you will regret it later." The feeling of a smug smile resonated.

I brought up the light orb for Apocalypse. The aura surrounded us all, and Nevin readied himself.

"I do not care for what you say, for I only see a monster of terrible destruction and suffering for all. There will be no eternal damnation!"

I grabbed Him and threw him in front of me. I quickly threw a javelin to catch him in place. Then I forced the blades of righteous judgment upon him to stun him longer. There was no final strike, Nevin only threw another javelin to keep Him in place. I summoned up a hammer of great power and smashed it onto him. I summoned pressure walls and Nevin followed suit with his own pressure walls, sealing the Corrupt One in a confined cage. Nevin also threw yet another javelin and threw his spear of righteous light. Then he sealed the cage with a deflection ceiling. I conjured up a flash sphere and a flash shrapnel. Nevin also did the same. Everything would collide, there was nothing to hold back.

"I see the heavens and thy evil condemned. I see the homes and thy evil dead. Let there be peace, and with it no dread. For thee, there is only an Apocalypse end!"

I threw my cross to Nevin and with it my flash spheres. The Apocalypse orb started to change to dark. Nevin thrust the cross into the orb.

The pressure walls exploded. The flash spheres centered for Him and erupted in a bright explosion. The Apocalypse filled the area with light and dark lasers. The fire typhoons and the water twisters surrounded and increased in size. There were even lightning streams zapping around the twisters and, peculiarly, ice twisted around with the fire. Screams and shouts could be heard, but I could have sworn I started to hear laughter near the end of the cycle. The lasers and twisters all merged into one. The incoming force was so great that the dust was blown away from the spot, a crater was forming right in front of me, and I had to settle myself down to not get swept away as well. When it was all done, He was gone. I had done it...I had done it! But all the spells took my energy. I was already tired when I started the Apocalypse, maybe I was to die now. I could already feel it, the unconsciousness covering me like a blanket. But I did not worry. The victory was made, but the promise...might not make it.


	7. The Holy Corruption

Entry: The Holy Corruption

I woke up and found myself in a forest, surrounded by piles of dead leaves and leaning trees. I slowly got myself up, the sores were still attacking my body with unbearable pain.

"Nevin?" I called out.

At once, Nevin appeared from behind some trees.

"Ah, you are okay!" He said.

"What happened?" I asked.

"You did not know? After He was defeated and you were unconscious, the Interdimensional Rift appeared. I took you and walked through the rift. It transported us to this forest, which I assume is part of Arad. Because I was also tired after the battle, I rested you up on a tree and decided to also rest close by. I was disturbed some time later and saw that you were waking up. But you were shivering a bit. You were gasping for breath and then you stood up and gripped your head in pain, it seemed."

"...I...did?"

"Yes. I was about to ask if something was wrong, but you suddenly transformed into a dark demon and started to eradicate everything around you. I tried to stop you, but I was afraid of killing you. Instead, I tried to slow you down and stop you from continuing. I was able to do so and you turned back to normal. However, I went behind the trees in case you turned back and I had to strike quickly."

"Then...when I woke up just now, that was after my rampage?"

"Yes."

I traveled to the spot behind me and saw the entire area. I have seen the barren wasteland that was Black Earth, and while this was not of equal level, the destruction was close behind.

"I...caused this?" I asked weakly. Nevin only gave a nod when I looked back to him.

I looked back to the battle with Him. _Don't think I would be gone!_, He said in the fight.

I felt a sudden sharp prick in my head and gripped my head, _And you won't be the only one! You will be the first of many more to come._

I gasped heavily, but I was able to slow myself.

"Did you hear that?" I asked Nevin, who was still in readied position.

"I did not hear anything." He only said.

"I heard him...He must be a part of me."

"The Corrupt One? He was the cause?"

"It's very likely. He said that he would not be gone, so it can't be a coincidence that what happened so far was for an entirely different reason."

"Perhaps the book might be of some use?"

I checked for the book and opened it up. There were some new stanzas.

_Lo and behold, the evil was done. Or so thee thought, for now two is one._

_But Thou must not die, thou must not fall. For the evil shall spread, to all and all._

_The darkness inside, conflicts with the light. The good must forever be kept in sight._

I closed it. It was true. We're one in the same. Answers, I needed answers. I could go back to Michael and ask him. That was what Nevin and I decided to do.

But along the way of getting out of the forest and going back to familiar lands, I transformed several more times, those times I was awake. The morphing was horrendous. I felt my skin puff up, tissues and muscles growing fast. My heartbeat increased in speed, the pulsing feeling of distress grew in relation. My mind was partly warped, as thoughts that I would never create came and went. The insanity and illusions covered my vision, and then a dark blackness that envelopes it all. Nevin was always there to stop me, but the urges in my new transformed body would always win out first. Plant life was but a dream now. I would always turn back, after time had passed and destruction occurred.

I knew that I could not see my friends yet. If I could so easily do this, then my friends would be in great danger by being around me. At one point, I looked in a puddle of water and saw my face. What a pale and sick creature it was. One side so hopeful, the other side a dark shadow of terribleness. One eye so full of deep blue, the other only the glowing red. I could not bare to see myself when I transformed. It must be terrible for Nevin. Who are you, this man who is so confused?

The internal struggle of light and dark punishes me always. Every hour, I feel the darkness increase and the light cower. I know now that light cannot exist without darkness. But where is the yang, that which compliments the yin? Where is the balance? There is no balance. All the time, I feel the darkness grow. Every time, I try to fight the transformation. Slayers, was this how they felt? If it is so, then I see the tribulation and feel it.

We get out of the forest and quickly head back to Aphelia Post. We quickly got to the Interdimensional Rift. But, my dear reader, I must stop for now, for this is where I must stop for now. I must stop writing and talk to Michael. If there is only one wish for me to have, it is the power to control this greater darkness, should the darkness ever drown my light. What is fate indeed, Corrupt One, what is fate indeed?

_**What is there really, for people like me?**_

_**I can only dream and hope to be free.**_

_**But we must suffer this unforeseen disruption.**_

_**How terrible it is, the Holy Corruption.**_


End file.
